Evan Iliadis blog

The farm Stela’s paradise.

The farm Stela’s paradise. | Evan Iliadis blog

The farm Stela’s paradise.

Our first farming experience was a resounding success. Tatay, with his profound knowledge and passion for Mother Nature, once again led us to triumph. Stela, known for her ‘magic hand‘, decided to take her turn. For the locals, this meant that she had an inexplicable power-anything she planted thrived. Some even believed she spoke magic words to the plants!

Undeterred by the remote location, Stela decided to plant peanuts on a hectare of her father’s thirty. The chosen spot was in the most secluded areas of the interior of Bohol, where even Stela’s 4×4 could only get within 2 kilometers of the land. If there were no materials to bring, the only way to reach the land was by foot or a  rented carabao. These challenges, however, only fueled their determination.

The farm Stela’s paradise.

First, she started by cleaning the area and removing many stones to facilitate plowing. Then she built a “resting house,” as they call it, a nipa hut resting area for the workers.

In the early morning, three carabaos started plowing the soil for the first time in ages. The locals couldn’t afford the cost of this operation, so here we go again another “worthless land.”

The indigenous people living in the area were looking at us with suspicion, questioning the undertaking of the operation in such a remote area. Some said the “Americano” is digging for gold, not to plant peanuts, and other rumors about our real motivation.

Even I, observing on the sideline, perplexed, wondering, “how much money can we make from one hectare of peanuts? “… Probably… Just peanuts!….
But if I couldn’t figure out the math, I discovered something I didn’t know about my wife. Her genuine love for nature and challenges related to her passion.

Stela who lived more years of her life in the US than in the Philippines her heart was still in Mindanao where she lived her childhood, walking miles away every day for bringing food to her father working on the farm and how much she enjoyed it.
She had never complained to me about the harsh condition of life. Instead, she told me about the area’s beauty, the abundance of fruits and vegetables and their exceptional taste, and plenty of fish.

The farm Stela’s paradise. From the left.Cousin Jeserel,Christian and Adrian Iliadis our sons

So it was clear to me that it wasn’t for financial gain she was doing it but to revive her childhood, showing us in real time what work on the farm is all about; she wanted me and our children to get a first-hand experience, sending us her usual message like ” You guys in your countries are taking everything for granted!”

The farm Stela’s paradise.
Did we make any money? Not really! As I thought!  You don’t go to the Philippines to make money. You bring it there to spend it! Did we lose any? No! We got our expenses back by selling the peanuts at a cheap price for…peanuts! China has flooded the country for half the price! The farm Stela’s paradise.
Stela fulfilled part of her dream. The kids were in heaven. I still remember those days; it was the best gift we ever gave them, the kind of fun money we couldn’t buy.  I started learning to do math. “A la Filipino” that yielded in “Bring a big fortune in the country if you want to make a small profit.”

On the left side column, I posted a photo album of this entry. Enjoy.

The farm Stela’s paradise.